This Swedish power metal band was originally a project created by Oscar Dronjak (b. 20 January 1972, Sweden; guitar) and Jesper Str”mblad (drums) to compete in local band competitions. Neither had wanted to leave their own established bands Crystal Age and In Flames respectively, and the band was completed by other part-timers Niklas Sundin (b. 13 August 1974, Sweden; guitar), Mikael Stanne (vocals) and Johan Larsson (bass). Sundin and Larsson were subsequently replaced by Glenn Ljungstr”m (In Flames) and Fredrik Larsson (Crystal Age). This line up remained stable until 1996, when during the heats of a local competition Stanne was replaced by Joacim Cans (b. 19 February 1970, Sweden) who had trained at the Musicians Institute in Los Angeles. As a result of a strong performance in the contest the band signed to Dutch label Vic Records. After completing sessions for the debut, Hammerfall became a full-time concern, necessitating more personnel changes. Str”mblad and Ljungstr”m returned to In Flames to be replaced by Patrik R„fling and Stefan Elmgren, both members of Cans' former band Highlander. Bass player Larsson also had commitments outside the band, and was eventually replaced by journeyman Magnus Ros‚n. Interest in the band's debut had been growing and at this time Nuclear Blast of Germany approached Vic to release Glory To The Brave, which was an excellent example of European metal, full of strong choruses and superb musicianship. The album was universally well received in Europe. Legacy Of Kings had a stronger production than its predecessor courtesy of Fredrik Nordstr”m. Although the lyrics were still concerned with sword and sorcery topics, the album benefited from being musically more accomplished and diverse. Like Glory To The Brave it also contained contributions from the departed Str”mblad. They band had been continuously touring since its inception and 1998/9 saw them undertake the Templar World Crusade, a gruelling tour that took them through more than 20 countries. During the tour Anders Johansson (formally of Yngwie Malmsteen's Rising Force) replaced an exhausted R„fling. I Want Out, an EP featuring Helloween and Rainbow cover versions, was issued as a stopgap until new material could be produced.
After another bout of touring and studio work, Renegade was released in October 2000, and the similarly pomp-laden Crimson Thunder followed in 2002.
DISCOGRAPHY: Glory To The Brave (Nuclear Blast 1997)***, Legacy Of Kings (Nuclear Blast 1998)****, Renegade (Nuclear Blast 2000)***, Crimson Thunder (Nuclear Blast 2002)***, One Crimson Night (Nuclear Blast 2004)**, Chapter V: Unbent, Unbowed, Unbroken (Nuclear Blast 2005)***, Threshold (Nuclear Blast 2006)***.
VIDEOGRAPHY: The First Crusade (Nuclear Blast 1999), One Crimson Night (Nuclear Blast 2003).

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